Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across France on Saturday, October 17, to protest against rising living costs, run‑down schools and cuts to public services, with demonstrations turning violent in several cities. Smaller protests over living costs also took place in Belgium, Italy and Portugal, and students rallied again in Albania.
In France, about 550,000 people took part, according to the interior ministry. The CGT union put the figure at 800,000. More than 1,200 people were arrested and more than 150 police officers were hurt. Shops were looted in Paris, the city hall in Limoges was largely destroyed by fire, protesters broke into the town hall in Marseille, and police fired tear gas in several cities.
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‘We’re taking the bastille’
Most protests began around midday, Reuters said. In Paris, a peaceful march near Place de la République turned violent. Masked rioters in black threw fireworks and paving stones, attacked a bank and looted a sports shop while police fired tear gas. “We’re taking the Bastille!” one demonstrator shouted.
Protesters set bins on fire, and a lorry was burned. Flames spread to a nearby building. On Boulevard Magenta, in a mostly working‑class area north of the square, dozens of shops were looted. Groups tried to get into the Galeries Lafayette department store, vandalised banks, ransacked a Lacoste shop and looted a mobile phone shop. Residents closed their windows and doors as tear gas rose to roof level. Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said whole streets “have been devastated”.
In Limoges, masked protesters set fire to the city hall. The local prefect, Maurice Barate, told AFP the roof had fallen onto the lower floors and two‑thirds of the outside wall was gone. He called the loss of the 143-year‑old building a “catastrophe for heritage”.
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Protests spread across Europe
Reuters said there were smaller protests in other countries as living costs rise. In Brussels, several hundred mostly young people marched, and some clashed with the police. Belgian student groups say they are against rising education costs. In Albania, police appeared to fire rubber bullets on the fifth day of student protests calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. In Lisbon, tens of thousands marched over housing and living costs. Portuguese housing prices have doubled since 2017.
In Milan, a march against high living costs turned to disorder, and police used tear gas to clear the square in front of the cathedral. In Bologna, police used water cannon and made seven arrests, according to the news agency ANSA.
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